This invention relates to a movable cabinet, and, more particularly, to a movable cabinet which is maintained in an upright position as it moves.
The invention finds particular utility in a galley for a camping trailer or other recreational vehicle. The galley of a camping trailer conventionally includes a pair of cabinets. One of the cabinets is supported by the floor of the vehicle and provides storage space for pans, etc. The other cabinet is movable between a use position in which it is supported by the first cabinet and a storage position in which it is supported by the floor of the vehicle. The movable cabinet may be equipped with, for example, a sink, a cooking area, etc.
The heights of the two cabinets are such that the top of the movable cabinet will be positioned at a convenient height when it is in the use position. However, when the camping trailer is folded into its traveling position, the movable cabinet must be moved to a lower, storage position to permit the camping trailer to be folded into its compact traveling configuration.
Various mechanisms have been used to permit the height of the galley to be reduced for traveling. For example, the upper or movable cabinet can be connected to the lower cabinet by a piano hinge so that the upper cabinet can be pivoted into a lower position. However, when this is done, the upper cabinet is turned upside down, and anything stored in the upper cabinet will also be turned upside down. U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,219 describes a galley in which the upper cabinet is telescopingly supported by the lower cabinet. However, when the upper cabinet is telescoped downwardly into the lower cabinet, the storage space in the lower cabinet is severely reduced or eliminated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,861 describes an upper cabinet which is movable with respect to a lower cabinet by means of a lever arm. The lever arm is pivotally connected to the upper cabinet in a plane which extends through its center of gravity. The cabinet is therefore swingably mounted on the lever arm, and the cabinet is subject to rocking as it moves between its raised and lowered positions. Also, articles stored in the cabinet might change the center of gravity so that the cabinet will tilt about its pivot connections.
Parallel links have also been used to maintain a movable cabinet in a level position. However, two parallel links which are mounted in the same plane can be rotated only in an arc which is less than 180.degree. before the links contact each other. If the links are mounted offset with respect to each other so that they will not contact each other, the links will become unstable and subject to binding once during every 180.degree. of movement when the pivot points of the links are aligned.